Where the Rapids are focusing their efforts as the summer transfer window nears

If their recent travels are any indicator, it appears the Rapids’ main focus during the summer transfer window could be to add an attacker from either central America or parts farther south.

Rapids technical director Paul Bravo. (Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

“Our director of scouting (Mitch Murray) has been in central America recently, and in Panama,” Rapids President Tim Hinchey said in a phone call on Friday. “(Technical Director) Paul (Bravo) was just in Argentina and Uruguay last week, for the week. So we’re always out there looking.”

The international transfer window officially opens on July 8 and runs through Aug. 6 this summer. Hinchey joked that if asked, Bravo, a former forward himself, would always like to add as many strikers as possible.

However, with the struggles the Rapids have had scoring goals this season, particularly early in games and from the run of play — Saturday’s four-goal output against Montreal Impact being an outlier — Bravo may get to do just that.

The likelihood of adding a player from the U.S. men’s national team player pool appears to be remote at this point, although that could change.

“I don’t have anybody that I’ve heard of (from the USMNT player pool) that Paul’s brought to me yet on our radar,” Hinchey said Friday. “I think we’ll see how it goes with World Cup and see what kind of players make some decisions. So we’ll see what happens there.”

While Hinchey said there are plenty of good players in the American international pool, they may not fit what the Rapids are trying to accomplish with their signings.

“My concern is that, I think our focus is still on the younger side of that,” Hinchey said. “We’d rather have players who can come in and be assets for us now and in the future. And I think it seems to me like some of that pool might be a little bit older.”

Hinchey said the scouting and recruiting process in modern professional soccer has become a year-round process, and credited the Rapids’ ownership for their support in extending the club’s reach.

Hinchey added that the club will always have some aspect it would like to strengthen “every July and every January.”

“I think that’s always going to be our goal,” Hinchey said.

Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this report, it was erroneously reported that Paul Bravo visited Australia on a scouting visit. The report has been updated to reflect he visited Argentina. Rapids president Tim Hinchey said the club has never scouted in Australia.

Daniel was first introduced to soccer at age 6 while living in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He played youth soccer in West Germany until age 9, and then in Seattle, where he is originally from. He works as the day breaking news editor and also contributes on the Rapids beat.